Well, the General Assembly has met again and the action taken by an
overwhelming majority of the Assembly fills us with gratitude to God.
The ticklish part of the report on co-operation was that, of course, on
colored evangelization. Here the report first stated what had been the
policy of the Southern Church for a separate Negro denomination, and
then gave that of the Northern Church:

"The Northern Assembly, on the other hand, has pronounced itself as not
in favor of setting off its colored members into a separate, independent
organization; _while by conceding the existing situation, it approves
the policy of separate churches, presbyteries and synods, subject to the
choice of the colored people themselves_."

Only one of the seventeen, Elder S.M. Breckinridge, of St. Louis, signed
a minority report.

It was fully expected that this report, so overwhelmingly recommended,
would go through with a rush. The managers had so planned. The
ex-Moderators, Smith, Crosby and Thompson, were in its favor. Dr. Crosby
said he would as soon be in the Southern Church as in the Northern. All
the prestige of good fellowship was in favor of the report as it was
presented, and the Southern Assembly had adopted it by a large majority
the day before.

The Rev. John Fox, of Allegheny, Penn., opened the opposition, opposing
the report generally, and supporting Elder Breckinridge's minority
report. It was a useful speech, and, though the sentiment of the
Assembly was plainly opposed, it stemmed the tide awhile and prepared
the way for what was to follow. Ex-Moderator Smith, of Baltimore,
Chairman of the Northern Assembly's Committee, then defended his report